New York attorney general is investigating auto safety scam

ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman accused four motor vehicle inspectors Tuesday of issuing more than 7,000 safety inspection certificates without testing the vehicles.

Schneiderman accuses them of collecting up to $100 for each fraudulent approval, more than twice the cost of a state safety inspection.

The inspectors operated in New York City and used a method called a “clean scan” that uses a second vehicle to record compliance with safety requirements. The defendants are accused of felonies for possessing false records.

Schneiderman says Tuesday the process put unsafe cars and trucks on the road. “These individuals were trusted to perform state-required inspections that keep unsafe cars off the road, but instead they took advantage of their expertise to cheat the system,” Schneiderman said.

Motor vehicles in New York require annual safety inspections. A spokeswoman said this is an area Schneiderman will continue to monitor and investigate.